Lined wrasses are orange-brown in colour with pale longitudinal blue-green lines. Their heads have irregular light blue-green lines.
They have opercular flaps with black spots and caudal fins with broad black bars on the posterior part of the fin. Females are distinguished by the white versus yellow band on the base of the tail and males by the lined versus spotted pattern on the body.
Lined wrasses inhabit coastal slopes and drop-off areas in small groups and can be found at depths between 20-45m.